Love the drive core
by barbex
Summary: Can you be attracted to a drive core? Oh yes, you can. Tali, the drive core and EDI. Rated M for smut.


_I had this discussion in my head that someone would say that you couldn't be attracted to a drive core. And I thought, of course you can! I could write fanfiction about that. So I did._

_Man, that drive core, so sexy._

* * *

()()()

It was strange being back on the Normandy, Tali thought. This Normandy, sort of like but not quite like the other one. Bright and sleek and yellow instead of blue. It was a bit unsettling how familiar and unfamiliar everything felt at the same time.

The ship was still too quiet, even though the drive core was even bigger than the original one. It was encased in a special containment field. Tali was a bit sad about that, she had loved the old Tantalus core, sitting open in the engineering bay. She remembered how she had felt every tiny electromagnetic discharge prickling through her suit. She had loved that core, the power it showed.

She made her way down to the engineering deck, past Gabby and Ken, the two human engineers, who made it hard to hate them for their Cerberus ties because they were just so damn nice. Her own station was on the other side of the bridge to the drive core viewport, she could still hear their amusing bickering while she worked on her own.

The readout from her station told her everything about the drive core but it still felt too removed. She walked over to the viewport, leaning on the railing while she had the readouts transferred to her omni-tool. It was nice to see the core from up here, the blue lights flickering over it. But it didn't feel right to view it from above like that, like she was towering over it. This core should tower over her, imposing in it's power. She wanted to be closer, wanted to feel it's mass effect field.

She had once ventured down on her own, to find another access room but she had only ended up in Jack's cave. That scary woman had sent her away in no uncertain terms and Tali would not go down there again. She went back into the hall and hesitated. Finally she decided to just ask the ships AI, even though she still didn't like it's presence on board.

"EDI?"

"Yes, Tali'Zorah vas Neema?" The pleasant voice of the AI answered from a platform in the middle of the hall.

"Is there somewhere below, where I can access the drive core?" Tali asked, making her voice sound cold and professional.

"The drive core can be accessed via any station with engineering clearance on the ship."

Tali thought for a second that EDI sounded surprised by her question but dismissed the thought. An AI could not be surprised. "I don't mean data access, I mean a room close to it, so I can see it."

There was a noticeable pause that made Tali wonder again, what kind of AI EDI actually was. She did not really fit all criteria in the quarians handbook.

EDI's orb disappeared and her voice now seemed to come from the ceiling, just locally above Tali's head. She vaguely wondered how many speakers were actually hidden in there.

"Tali'Zorah vas Neema, please go down to the cargo bay. With your permission I will guide you through your comm unit and not the speaker system of the Normandy."

"Permission granted." Tali said. "But why, EDI?"

There was that pause again, as if the AI was thinking about what she wanted to say. "I don't want everybody to know this path to my drive core."

Tali stopped. "Your drive core?"

"I am the Normandy, the Normandy is me. The drive core powers me." The AI's voice almost sounded smug.

Tali continued walking. "If you don't want others to know this path to the drive core, why show it to me?"

"I have noticed your admiration of my drive core. Since your arrival, the cores efficiency has improved by 12%. I appreciate that." EDI said.

Tali tilted her head without realizing that her body language was probably lost on her communications partner. "So.. you are grateful?" Could an AI even be grateful?

"Yes. I trust you to only want the best for my drive core."

Tali felt proud for a second before she checked herself. What a silly notion to be proud of the trust from an AI. "Well.. thank you, I guess."

She had arrived in the cargo hold, stopping outside of the elevator. "Where now?" She asked.

"Turn left towards the shelfs." EDI spoke in her ear. "There is a hatch on the ground. Open it."

The cargo hold was empty and Tali wondered if EDI had somehow made sure of that. The hatch opened to a short ladder and a crawl tunnel. Tali got down on her knees and followed the tunnel to another hatch that did open outwards in front of her. She climbed out and stood up only to freeze in her movements. She was standing directly under the core, bathed in it's light. She looked up and up. From down here it looked like the curve of the core would never end.

The lights jumped in waves over the surface, stretching out in arcs. She felt them running over her skin in that familiar prickling sensation.

She finally found her voice. "Is it... is it safe to stand here, EDI?"

"Yes. I would never allow any member of the crew to come to harm. I have established an energy field around the core at all times to protect the crew from the radiation."

"I know that." Tali said, harsher than she had intended. "But I can feel..." She shuddered involuntarily. "I feel those discharges." Another wave passed over her, the arc reaching out to her like a hand.

"Those discharges are harmless. They are a normal part of my core's operations." EDI answered.

Tali felt another shudder go through her. "I really like this drive core. All this raw power, like it is just barely contained. The arc lightning running over it, the color and I love the hum. You know, I always felt the ship is too quiet but here, here it sounds right."

EDI was quiet for a few seconds. Suddenly Tali noticed a new frequency in the core's hum. A low, raw hum was oscillating under the normal tone of the drive core. "Did you change something, EDI?"

"Yes. I can influence the frequency. Do you like it?" EDI's voice sounded just as friendly as ever.

Tali shuddered, the hum and the arcing lights and the electromagnetic waves prickling through her caused sensations in her, not unlike the ones caused by her nerve stimulating program. Her voice was hoarse when she whispered to EDI. "Yes, I like it very much."

"I notice that you have a physical reaction to my drive core." EDI said matter of factly.

Tali sputtered. "Well, yes, I... this is embarrassing... I love..."

"It's not embarrassing for me." EDI said and Tali thought that her voice sounded different or was that just her imagination?

She swallowed. "Not embarrassing? The core is part of the Normandy, of you, EDI and it turns me on! If that isn't embarrassing... Keelah!" She sighed as another arc touched her.

"I am not familiar with these emotions but I find myself intrigued." EDI said in her helmet. "May I make a suggestion to make this experience more direct for both of us?"

Tali froze. "What are you talking about?"

EDI's voice sounded just as professional as ever. "If you give me access to the nerve stimulating program in your suite, I could let the electromagnetic waves pass directly through you. At the same time I could experience your reactions. I may not be able to feel your emotions but I could approximate."

Did EDI sound kind of eager? Tali wondered.

EDI continued. "I will protect you, you will not get hurt."

Tali hesitated, why was she even thinking and talking about this? "EDI, giving someone access to my nerve stim program is... very personal. And you are an AI, you could do anything with that access, you could kill me." Quarians knew very well about the danger of AI's and how uncontrollable and dangerous they could become.

"I am a shackled AI, it is against my programming to hurt or endanger anybody from the crew." EDI made a pause and Tali knew that AI's didn't just pause for the fun of it. "And even if I were unshackled, I would never harm you, Tali'Zorah vas Neema."

Tali took a sharp breath. That sounded so personal, loving even. What was going on? "EDI, the drive core, would you say that it is like the heart of your body?"

"If I were to approximate the Normandy as my body, the core could be considered my heart but also as part of my central nervous system." There was another pause. "One could say that I ask you to let me connect my heart to you."

Another arc stretched out to her, licking over her suit in a caressing touch. Tali shuddered, heat building up inside of her, concentrating in her own core.

"What would I have to do?"

"There is an emergency console on the wall next to you. You would have to connect your suits omni-port with the diagnostics cable to that console. You can restrict access to your suit functions via you own controls. I promise I will not tamper with anything or hurt you." EDI voice sounded warm in her helmet. Tali had already turned off her external speakers, so that nobody could hear her talking down here.

She took out the diagnostics cable and connected it to her port. The drive core's hum changed to a lower tone and Tali felt it vibrate through her. Another arc of light wandered towards her and touched her. It stayed with her wandering over her suit and suddenly she felt it on the inside too. The electromagnetic waves passed through her nervous system and she felt heat building up between her legs in mere seconds.

She gasped. The sensations suddenly stopped. EDI spoke worriedly in her helmet, "Tali'Zorah vas Neema? Are you hurt?"

"Keelah, no! It was pure pleasure." Tali spoke with a hoarse voice, craving those feelings to return.

"Interesting. Your bodies reactions were kind of similar." EDI said. "I will take note of the differences."

Another arc of light touched her hand and wandered up her arm. At the same time she felt the wave wander along her nervous system, up her arm, over her shoulder, along her neck. She moaned loudly and was just glad that her speaker was turned off.

"That was good?" EDI whispered.

"Yes, oh, yes." Tali managed to whisper as the wave travelled over her breasts and over her stomach. The wave seemed to linger there as another lightning arc touched her other arm and wandered down towards the lingering caressing touch. There was a short pause and Tali held her breath, knowing that AI's didn't just make pauses without purpose.

Suddenly the two waves combined into a single hot touch that jumped between her legs and enclosed her vagina. Tali cried out, her knees giving out under her, desperately holding on to the console so that the cable wouldn't get ripped out from her port. The electromagnetic wave circled around her core and with a shuddering cry Tali arched her back and came, her orgasm crashing over her.

The electromagnetic waves became softer but the light of the drive core still enclosed her.

"Keelah! By the light of the sun, don't stop EDI."

"Yes, Tali'Zorah vas Neema, as you wish. I just wanted to make sure that you are not hurt." EDI's voice sounded like a warm touch in her ears.

"Just Tali, EDI, just call me Tali. I'm not hurt, quite the opposite." Tali sighed and tried to find a position to sit down without ripping out the cable. It wasn't quite long enough, so she leaned her back against the console.

EDI spoke up in her suit. "I have noticed that you have not restricted my access."

"I guess that means that I trust you." Tali said to her own surprise.

"I consider that an honor."

The electromagnetic waves began travelling again, and Tali watched the light wander along her suit. One wave travelled upwards, inside her helmet and caressed her face. It touched the gill creases on her face, followed the lines of her head to the back where the stubble of her hair touched the velvety inline of her suit. Tali leaned into that touch as if it came from a real hand.

The hum of the drive core got louder and vibrated through her as the blue light licked and danced over her suit. She felt the electromagnetic waves touch her body, igniting her nervous system. Her whole body was swimming in this touch, shuddering and squirming. She was moaning, heat building up in her again. Her hands were gripping the console so hard that it creaked. But she had to hold on, if not, she would have fallen to the floor, severing the connection.

EDI's voice whispered in her ear. "I have made a connection back to me. I can feel what you feel. It is... interesting."

Tali could not respond, she didn't even know what language she spoke. She was moaning, sighing, cursing. Her body on the precipice of overload, twitching. She felt the heat build up again in her core and vaguely noticed that her whole body was beaming in blue light. The tension build up, stronger and stronger. It became almost unbearable, tethering on the edge of this sensation until finally, with one hot spark towards her vagina, Tali came again with a scream, harder than ever before.

The sparks along her nervous system continued, slowly getting gentler and softer. Tali sighed, her knees were shaking. She couldn't stand up anymore. "I have to sit down, I have to take out the cable." She said with a hoarse voice.

"I understand." EDI said, her voice perfectly calm.

Tali unplugged her suit and instantly missed the sensations of the drive core light touching her from the inside. She slumped down to the ground, her legs giving out under her. The arcs of the drive core were still licking along her suit and the hum still vibrated through her.

"Keelah." Tali sighed. Her suit turned up the ventilation to cool her down.

"You did enjoy that, Tali." EDI stated.

"Yes, I did."

"I enjoyed that too." EDI said and her voice sounded different.

"Really?" Tali was surprised. How could an AI enjoy something?

"Yes. I would agree if you wanted to meet my drive core like that again." EDI said.

Tali suddenly felt embarrassed. "Keelah, I couldn't... this is wrong, I would just use you."

"I disagree, Tali'Zorah vas Neema. I may be unable to feel emotions like you can but I did enjoy this."

"You did? You would like to do it again one day?" Tali whispered.

"Yes. Can I invite you to touch my drive core again, Tali?"

"Keelah." Tali sighed. "Yes, EDI, I will visit you tomorrow night again, if you don't mind."

Another blue arc touched her and wandered along her arm to her face mask. EDI's voice sounded warm in her ear. "I enjoy connecting my heart to you."

"Keelah." Tali wondered in how many ways the flotilla would exile her if they knew what she did with an AI and her drive core.

* * *

It was strange being back on the Normandy, Tali thought. This Normandy, sort of like but not quite like the other ones. Dark and unfinished and back to blue. Familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

She felt like a little girl on her pilgrimage again but she straightened her back, she was an admiral now. She entered the war-room with confidence, greeting the other admirals and exchanging a few words with Shepard. After the conference was done she decided to tour the ship, to see how much had changed.

She called up to the ceiling, "EDI, are you still there?"

"Yes, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, I am still part of the Normandy." EDI's voice sounded happy.

"I would like to look around, if you don't mind." Tali said with a smile. Hearing EDI made her happier than she would have thought.

"Of course I don't mind. But I would ask you to come to the cockpit first." EDI actually sounded smug.

Tali shook her head and walked up to the cockpit. Joker turned around. "Hey, if it isn't my favorite admiral! Good to see you, Tali."

"Good to see you too, Joker. I'm glad you are still taking care of the Normandy." Tali said with a smile. "And of EDI."

"Oh!" Joker grinned widely, "Do I have a surprise for you!" He nodded to the person on the co-pilots seat, who Tali hadn't noticed yet. The seat turned around and in an unnaturally smooth move the person stood up and walked over to her.

EDI's voice came from the person. "It is good to see you, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy."

Tali stared. This wasn't a person, this was a robot. A feminine body with a silver metallic shine and an orange visor across her eyes. "EDI?"

"Yes Tali, it is me." Did that face smile?

Tali felt dumb. "But the Normandy..."

"Is also me. I am the Normandy but I also have this mobile platform to interact with people." EDI said, her voice so smooth.

Tali swallowed. "You look... very pretty."

"Thank you. Would you like me to give you a tour of the Normandy?" EDI asked.

"Yes, please, I would like that." Tali couldn't take her eyes off that beautifully curved body. She moved so elegantly that Tali felt clumsy beside her. She swallowed again, was this even right? To find the robotic body of an unshackled AI attractive?

Tali walked beside the EDI platform in silence until she suddenly noticed that they had arrived in the cargo bay. EDI opened a door on the side and Tali found herself in front of the drive core, the blue arcs of lights reflecting on the metallic surface of EDI's platform.

She turned around and noticed that EDI's eyes behind her visor were fixed on her. She looked... worried. If that was even possible.

She turned her gaze back to the drive core. Behind her EDI's voice sounded just as she had when she didn't have a body. "I have noticed that you seem nervous around me in this body. Am I scaring you?"

Tali swallowed. "No, it's just... I have to get used to it, I guess."

EDI spoke again after a short pause. "This is still me." An arc from the drive core travelled down and touched Tali's suit. "This is still my heart, Tali."

Tali took a breath that sounded like a sob. She kept staring at the drive core, following the patterns of the lights. "I have missed you, EDI. I... had no idea how much I would miss you."

Metallic arms that felt surprisingly warm enclosed her from behind. Tali held her breath as EDI spoke. "The gap in my algorithms that you left was bigger than I had anticipated. It was unsettling to find that I was waiting for you to return. Every day."

Tali turned around to face that unfamiliar face with the familiar voice. She ran her gloved hands along that metallic skin. "Can you feel that?" She asked in a whisper.

EDI tilted her head in thought, like a quarian would do. "My sensors transmit your touch. It is pleasant. Unusual." Tali let her hand travel across EDI's chest and down her waist. There was a rapid blinking across EDI's visor and Tali noticed the arcs from the drive core sparking.

"Pleasant. Unexpected. Nobody has ever touched me like that. Pleasant." EDI sounded astonished and Tali could only imagine how her algorithms were trying to compartilize the sensations from her touch. She giggled a little at that thought.

"Is this amusing?" EDI asked.

"No, that's not what I was laughing about." Tali hurriedly answered. "I was just imagining how you would try to classify this feeling."

"It requires more processing power than I had allocated. Please stand by for readjustment." EDI's visor flickered again and then her eyes fixed on Tali again. "I would like to connect to your omni-port, like we did before."

The wave of heat rising up in Tali was almost embarrassing. "I would like that too." She looked around. "Where is the cable?"

EDI smiled. Tali was amazed at that ability.

EDI stepped forward, pulling Tali's body close to her. "We don't need a cable." A finger on her hand transformed itself to an omni-plug and before Tali could even wonder about that, EDI had plugged herself in.

The rush of sensations was so intense that Tali almost fainted. Her legs gave out under her and she would have fallen down if a strong, metallic arm had not held her up. The light from the drive core enclosed her again, travelling along her skin but this time it also travelled along EDI's metallic skin and Tali could feel that. She felt that sensation just like EDI felt it and Tali was sure that EDI received her emotions through the link as well.

Tali felt EDI in her mind, touching her. It felt like kisses on her skin, moving with the light from the drive core. The signals she received from EDI's mind showed her curiosity, fear, and a complex feeling of longing. Tali grabbed EDI's head with both her hands and pressed her mask against her metallic forehead.

Through the link they kissed.

Tali had never felt like that, never felt love like that.

And she also had never desired someone like that.

The blue light wandered along her skin towards her core and Tali's hands began stroking EDI's body, trying to transmit how much she wanted her. "I've missed you so much EDI, I've missed our connection, your touch, your light."

The electromagnetic waves sparking through her intensified, and Tali could feel herself rushing towards her orgasm. "Do you feel that?" She asked, arching her back.

"Yes Tali, I feel everything you feel. It is.. intense, unclassified... unprocessed." EDI sounded out of breath even though that was impossible. Her free arm held Tali close to her own body and Tali could feel the slight whirring of servos in her body.

"Do you enjoy this too, EDI?" Tali managed to ask in between moans.

"Yes, Tali, my processors are enjoying our interactions. I noticed that giving you pleasure is satisfying for me too."

"Keelah. Please don't stop." Tali tried to form more words but she couldn't think of any. Her moans got louder now, even though she had turned off her speakers. EDI was holding her, her beautiful body pressed against her.

Suddenly a new sound added to the hum of the drive core and a vibration went through EDI's body, making Tali gasp in pleasure. EDI spoke with amusement in her voice. "I have just discovered that this platform has a vibrate function. Do you enjoy this Tali?"

"Oh, Keelah!"

Tali vaguely wondered which would be worse in the eyes of traditional quarians: having sex with a drive core, with an AI or with the artificial, vibrating body of said AI while the arcs of said drive core lit up her body.

And then she just screamed in pleasure, held by EDI's strong arm, not caring for a thing in the world but her.

()()()

* * *

_I regret nothing._

_But, barbex, if you ship Tali with EDI, what happens to Joker?_

_Wellll, there is this story on my profile..._

_:-)_

_Vibrate function inspired by this great picture from barba larga on tumblr:__ image/25035866170_

_barbalarga tumblr com /post/25035866170/i-was-going-to-weasel-this-into- some-request-but_


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